Fire Safety Phase 3 and The Building Safety Act 2022
Landlords in England must comply with new fire safety requirements from October 1st 2023
On October 1st, 2023, new fire safety requirements will come into force for landlords in England. These requirements apply to landlords who have control over the communal parts of buildings, such as landlords who let properties by the room or landlords who own larger buildings with several self-contained flats.
The new requirements mean that landlords must:
- Record the results of their fire risk assessment in a written document. Previously, only specific information was required to be recorded, and a written assessment was not always necessary.
- Record the identity of the individual or company that carried out the fire risk assessment.
- Demonstrate how fire safety is managed in the premises.
- Share their contact information, including a UK address, with other responsible persons for the premises (if applicable) and with the tenants.
- Take reasonable steps to identify any other responsible persons for the building.
- Share all relevant fire safety information with incoming responsible persons when giving up control of the property.
- Provide tenants with relevant fire safety information in a format that is easy to understand.
The relevant fire safety information that landlords must provide to tenants includes:
- The risks identified by the fire risk assessment
- The preventive and protective measures in place
- The name of the responsible person and a UK address where they, or their representative, can accept notices and documents
- The identity of any person appointed to assist with the fire risk assessment
- The identity of any competent persons nominated by the responsible person
- Any risks informed to the responsible person
- Any other matters specified in regulations made by the relevant authority
Please note that these new requirements are in addition to the information that landlords in England are already required to provide under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.
Here is a link to further information:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-your-fire-safety-responsibilities-under-the-fire-safety-order